Welcome Bishop +Stevenson

A bit about our Church and our Welcome for our new Bishop!
Greetings, Anglicans! Our Episcopal Church is one of 40 member churches, referred to as Provinces, in relationship around the world. These 40 Provinces—the American Episcopal Church is Province III—make up the worldwide Anglican communion, originating with the Church of England.
The Episcopal Church takes its name from the Greek word episcopos, meaning overseer or governor. It consists of 112 dioceses in the United States, Europe, Central and South America, Micronesia, Taiwan, and the Caribbean. It’s an international community with approximately 1.5 million members.
The chief pastors in the Episcopal Church are the bishops. Theologically, bishops are considered to be successors to the Apostles and have the two-fold responsibility for the apostolic mission of the Church and for the oversight of that mission within a given geographic area: the Diocese.
The bishops, who in the Episcopal Church (unlike elsewhere in the Anglican Communion) are elected by the clergy and laity of the Diocese, are members of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Bishops confer Holy Orders upon deacons, priests, and other bishops, and administer the rite of Confirmation in addition to the usual priestly services. They visit congregations, meet with clergy, administer Confirmation, and preach the Word.
Last week the Diocese of Virginia gathered for the consecration of the Rev. Canon E. Mark +Stevenson, as the XIV Bishop Diocesan of Virginia. Gathering at St. Paul’s Baptist Church, 35 bishops from around the United States, England, Tanzania, and Ghana joined in the laying on of hands as hundreds of diocesan priests, deacons, and lay people prayed.
We are privileged to welcome Bishop +Stevenson THIS Sunday, December 18 at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall for an informal Q&A. We will then gather at the 10:30 service where the Bishop will be the chief celebrant and preacher. Following the service, there will be a reception in the Parish Hall. Please come meet your new bishop, celebrate the 4th and final Sunday of Advent, and enjoy fellowship with your Communion.